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Scotland frustrated as winless streak against All Blacks continues
Scotland’s hopes of ending their long wait for a win over New Zealand ended in another defeat, after the All Blacks pulled away in the second half of their Nations Championship match in Edinburgh. The result extends New Zealand’s unbeaten run against Scotland to 34 games across 121 years.
Scotland were within three points at half-time, but New Zealand scored 19 unanswered points after the break. Coach Gregor Townsend said Scotland had not delivered a performance their supporters could be proud of, while captain Sione Tuipulotu said the team struggled at the breakdown. It was Scotland’s first match since their opening three Nations Championship games in July; New Zealand arrived after a busy schedule, including a tour of South Africa and two Bledisloe Cup wins over Australia.
In short
- New Zealand beat Scotland again in Edinburgh.
- Scotland’s 34-game winless run against the All Blacks continues.
- The All Blacks scored 19 unanswered second-half points.
Explained simply
Scotland and New Zealand are two of rugby union’s established international teams, with Scotland representing one of the sport’s oldest rugby nations and the All Blacks the name commonly used for New Zealand’s team. They meet regularly in international fixtures, but Scotland have never beaten New Zealand in a Test match.
The breakdown is the contest for the ball after a tackle, where players from both teams try to secure possession. Controlling it can help a side keep attacks going or disrupt the opposition, so struggles in that area can affect how much of the game a team can manage.